Fabulous video! In summary, the top 10 seed-starting mistakes (my notes in parentheses): 1. Not storing seeds properly. Do not put them in the freezer. To preserve seeds for more than 6 months, put them in the refrigerator in paper envelopes. The fridge is cool and dry, and the paper will help prevent mold. 2. Not pretreating your seeds properly. Vegetable seeds don’t usually need to be pretreated, but perennials and annuals typically do. Read your seed package for directions. (Note: detailed directions are often printed on the inside of the package!) 3. Stratifying your seeds in the fridge without wetting them first. Seeds need moisture to germinate. 4. Using a pot that’s too small. Seedlings need a lot of space for their roots. Too quickly, they overgrow little cell pots and need to be transplanted (which is traumatic everytime). It’s better to use 3 1/2 or 4” pots in the first place. 5. Don’t use poor quality soil. Soil’s not even the best medium for germination. Use a name brand peat or coir mix, like ProMix. Stick with it every year. 6. Wet (or soak?) the seed before planting. Keep the pot moist. But as soon as it germinates, let the surface dry out before rewatering. Otherwise, roots will ‘damp-off’ and die plus hatch fungus knats. 7. Use a fan to circulate air 24/7. It will help strengthen seedling stems and aid in drying the soil surface. (This is akin to the art and science of stewarding bonsai, where gardeners are taught to gently stress the trunk and branches to encourage stronger bark) 8. Heating mats are only necessary if the air around them is particularly cold, such as a basement. Even then, they should only be used to germinate. 9. Plastic domes are great to preserve moisture and humidity for germination, but should come off once seedlings emerge. 10. Give seedlings as much light during the natural day as possible. Tall stalky seedling growth can be a sign of insufficient light.

Even as a professional gardener and graduated phytopathologist/botanist I could learn here. Hi and thanks from Germany. World's best gardening channel here. Honestly I am shocked about many amateur gardening Videos...

After watching your videos, my work efficiency improved by 1000-fold. I can't thank God enough for introducing you to me. Being my teacher, you will always be in my prayers. Stay blessed! 💕

Wow, this man has amazing knowledge to share. So fortunate to have found this. Thank you.

You sir have the very best channel on no nonsense gardening period...I feel like I am listening to my own experiences being echoed over the years with all of the mistakes and successes refined. A huge #11 to your list of mistakes is thinking artificial light is adapting plants to the real deal also known as our sun. Hardening off plants to this true powerful light source is paramount , especially the longer they have been under fake lighting reality. :o) Excellent wisdom for all of us growers new and old of which is why I promote your channel to my customers. Take care.

Oh wow i thought the freezer was the best.thank you!

I just learned about winter sowing, so I tried it this year. I've had a lot of success!

I love the direct way you teach you make me want to hang onto every word you say. Thank you very much 🌱 I’m a new subscriber.

These are so important! Thank you 👍

Excellent information. Thanks buddy😊

Great advice!! Thankyou!🙂

This, and your baggie method, have given me success, finally, in germinating perennial seeds from my garden!

The fan advise is a game changer for me. Thanks for talking about it.

Excellent information, thank you! I kind of knew to use a fan, but I thought it was more for getting your seedlings stronger. The fan blowing on the seedlings make the stems move and in turn make them stronger. What are your thoughts on soil block makers. I recently purchased one and want to give it a try. I think I’m going to start all my annuals in them and my perennials I’m going to be starting in pots as you suggested. I can’t wait until we get closer to our last frost date so I can start some of my seeds. I’m also thinking that if I have enough light I can start some of my perennials now? Just a few, because I know they’re going to take a long time to develop into something that is big enough to be able to plant in the ground. I will use your baggie method to get the seeds going, then transfer them into a growing medium. I love your videos, please keep them coming, they are so informational!! Thank you again! 💚🙃

Gold advice. THANK YOU VERY MUCH🙏🏼

Excelent video thank you for everything i learn a lot

You are a wealth of excellent information. So glad I found your channel.

Thank you for making this video. NE Georgia.

God bless you. Thank you so very much. This is the best info Ive heard online explained so easily. I hope to make you proud!

New subscriber here. I came upon your videos and I like your thoroughness at explaining different processes. I will be checking out the rest of your playlist throughout the year, I'm sure.

I really enjoy your video's and your experience. I really agree with the fan, it makes the plants so much robust and stronger.

Thanks i am living here in Southern Ontario and so happy to find someone from Canada. I have learned so much from your videos and plan to implement them this year. I have a big problem with fungus files right now keeping me back from starting my seeds.

Guilty as charged. I've done like half of those mistakes + I'm no green thumb = no wonder my plants keep dying. T_T thank you for this video. I need to learn more.

The longer you save seeds, the lower the germination rate. I sprout seeds using use cell pots because I grow a lot of vegetables. I use a brand name seed starting mix and add a small amount of fertilizer once the the true leaves grow. You'd be surprised how large the plants grow in these small cell pots. The roots become cramped but when planted in the ground the roots spread fast. After they are about 1" - 2" tall I put the seedlings outside in a covered raised bed to they can adapt to outside conditions. It took me decades to come up with this technique. You have some great advice.

Excellent presentatiom

I use a dome to get more sun on my seedlings during cooler days but keep more on the dry side and thermometer to keep track of the temps. I open the top to allow air flow to prevent fungus problems.

It makes you wonder how seeds germinate in the ground on their own.🤞I put my flower seed heads in the compost heap. When it comes eventually to spread it on the garden I get so many self sowers. They look amazing.

Robert lots of info hear. What are your thoughts on bottom watering?

Even when you do things right, it's sometimes wrong. Planted some native Australian Golden Everlastings, did as the packet said, surface sown, cover with plastic etc., failed to germinate after several weeks and were covered in mold. I reused the soil blocks for sweet peas, covered with 12mm of soil and to my surprise the golden everlastings have sprouted through. I did opposite of the instructions and only then did I have success. It's crazy to think I even tried lightly burying these tiny seeds in soil, but it was 12mm that did the trick. Felt like I was being rewarded for planting carrot seeds an inch deep.

I've used heating mats for germinating my peppers and have had good results.

biodegradable pots are my go too

When i first started growing my food i used egg cartons and it worked very well the following year i tried recycled toilet tissue rolls and that was a mixed bag mostly failure.the next year i tried to make a greenhouse with a shelf and clear shower curtain another mixed bag of failure.the following year we invested in a greenhouse and its been on ever since.this year i had no luck with jalepeno or other peppers but grew acorn spaghetti squashes and orange bell peppers tomato yellow and zuchinni dill.my cukes also didnt grow nor basil mafigold thyme and couple other things

قال الله تعالى ( أأنتم تزرعونه أم نحن الزارعون ) thanks for these rich science information

Thanks for great information. I see someone mention that you're from Ontario, Canada. Great, so must US warmer client info. We live in Zone 3 which is even more difficult than S ON. Would it be possible for you to make some videos in starting seed in 3? does Winter sowing work best here?

I germinate seeds in soil and have good results. I also use egg cartons to stratify my lavender.

❤❤❤

Thank you. I've got one pk of green tomatoes i really want to grow. I've not started much from seeds. Do the baggie starters need sunlight?

Thank you for the useful information. You said that the seeds have germinated before we see them and to stop keeping the top of the soil moist as soon as they germinate. So how can we tell when to stop keeping the top of the soil moist to avoid damping off?

What about seeds.? Do they need light before germination ? Already thank you for your kind and professional reply.

My hellebore and allium seeds are germinating outside in punnets, exposed to the frost. Should i keep them out there with so much moisture (we get a lot of winter rain) or would they be better in my cool glasshouse with less water - thanks

What is the lowest temperature I can grow seedlings once they have germinated? My space bottoms out at 50f, depending on the day.

Great video. Are you using Promix because of the micorhical funghi?

Can I use fungicides after seeds germinate to prevent root rot .? Or add fungicide to the potting mix before planting the germinating seeds or the seeds themselves? Already thank you for your guidance. I am a begginer

Tried to save some Moon and Stars watermelon seeds in a ziplock. Yup, mold, mold, mold. Never again.

Can't see your link on top right hand corner. Pls send it to me here Thanks

I carry my seedling trays outside in the morning, mist them once and return them indoors in the afternoon. Is that a bad approach?

Oops !! time to turn that heating mat off...

Pro mix mp and hp

I have tried growing plants over the past three years nothing works. We have always had a garden and we start our seeds off the same as we have for sixty years. Something just seems different

I'm so confused on whether seeds need to germinate in partial sunlight or direct sunlight for blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries

It was a bit confusing about not storing unused seeds in plastic.....and then you saying that you store them in plastic envelopes....with only a recommendation to go to another site

Excellent video! You know that place in the arctic that supposedly holds the worlds seeds? How are they storing them? BTW, if freezing works, and the glacier ice as severely depleted enough to reveal squirrels that died 30,000 years ago, maybe one could find some 30,000 year old seeds.